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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Christ Church, Stamford

2023-12-31-accounts

Christ Church Stamford

Annual Report & Accounts for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2023

Page 1

Contents

GENERAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................. 3
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PCC ......................................................................................... 4
Administrative information ......................................................................................................4
Structure, governance and management ...................................................................................5
Objectives and activities ...........................................................................................................5
Church Attendance ...................................................................................................................5
Financial review ........................................................................................................................5
Operations Report .....................................................................................................................6
STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PCC ........................................................ 8
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES ...................................................................... 9
BALANCE SHEET
10
FUND MOVEMENT BY TYPE………………………………………………..…………..11
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..………….12
EXAMINER’S REPORT……………………………………………...…………………….13

Page 2

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD

GENERAL INFORMATION

Charity name The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical
Parish of Christ Church Stamford
Charitable status The Parochial Church Council is a charity
registered with the Charity Commission,
registration number: 1139222
Principal address Christ Church, Green Lane, Stamford PE9 1HE
Principal contact Rev Anthony Laotan, Vicar
Telephone no. 01780 766446
Email vicar@christchurchstamford.com
Website www.christchurchstamford.com
Bankers Barclays Bank plc, Broad St, Stamford
Independent Michelle Feasey, Stamford
examiner

Page 3

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PCC

YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2023

Administrative information

Christ Church Stamford is situated on Green Lane Stamford. It is part of the Diocese of Lincoln within the Church of England.

Parochial Church Council (PCC) Membership

Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

PCC members who have served from / during 2023 are:

Ex-Officio Anthony Laotan Vicar
Dawn Field Warden
Nigel Garwood Resigned as Warden 2023
Laura Mitchell Stepped down April 2023
Lesley Foulkes Stepped down December
2022
Barbara Morley Tenure completed 2023
Elected Members Tina Bland Member
Rachael Carter Secretary
Jacqui Wells Deputy Safeguarding Officer
Carol MacBeath Lead Safeguarding Officer
Co-opted Lisa Garwood Resigned as Treasurer 2023

Committees

The PCC operates through a Standing Committee which has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings subject to any directions given by Council and to limits of delegated authority.

The Building Committee oversees the stewardship of the Church building and ensures that repairs are dealt with.

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Structure, governance and management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll. The full PCC met ten times during the year. Committees have met between meetings and items from these were included in the PCC discussions as appropriate.

Objectives and activities

Christ Church PCC has the responsibility of promoting within the Ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church – pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Christ Church building. The church operates social outreach projects covering newborn to elderly, vulnerable, disabled, and marginalized individuals.

Church Attendance

The church holds a weekly morning service at 10am. Our weekly attendance at services averages 40 per week.

There are 51 members on the Electoral Roll.

Financial review

Regular financial reports have been given to the PCC throughout the year.

For these 2023 accounts we have moved to a new financial package, ExpensePlus, and this year’s accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis.

The total income for Christ Church was £57,741 an increase of 11% on the previous year. Total expenditure was £62,827 which was almost the same as last year. It should be noted that the increased income did include a large grant of £18,800 for the Henry Smith Charity to employ a Children, Youth and Family Minister.

Our overall giving was very much in line with our budget. Open plate collections remained stable and whilst regular giving did dip towards the year end, it was compensated for by an increase in one-off gifts. We are receiving good regular income now from hall lettings and a regular hirer has increased the number of sessions which will further benefit the church and increase income in 2024.

Utility bills remain high, our electricity was in line with budget but gas was much higher. The boilers are old and will require replacement in the medium term. We had made a Covenant Pledge with the Diocese to pay £11,500 in 2023 (which was achieved), £12,500 in 2024 rising to £15,000 by 2025. We spent the agreed £6,754 on repairs to the ramp wall. Three quotes were obtained and the work was completed in December 2023. This money has been taken from General Fund reserves.

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Christ Church Ministry

Our regular income has remained stable, and we have seen stability in the numbers of people attending church and our weekly activities. This year we developed the garden to the rear of the church into a welcoming space for the community. We are grateful to our funders for enabling this to happen. As we head into 2024, we plan to use this for outreach activities. Church services are well attended and we have seen new people join us. Following a fortnightly discipleship group in 2022, two CATALYST Communities (Home groups) emerged and have been established. Another Home Group that was functional pre-covid also restarted bringing the number of CATALYST Communities to three. Towards the end of the year, two more groups were formed including one for teenage girls. We have had a few successful social events during the year, including Step into Spring - a community event, and a Coronation Party for King Charles which was largely funded and supported by the Council. We capped the year with our annual fundraiser, the Christmas Fayre. This event raised £700.

Operations Report

Christ Church has at the heart of its outreach programmes - a desire to welcome people, meet their pastoral needs, and draw them into fellowship together. We aim to bring the Christ Church Values and Vision to life by drawing people into fellowship and ultimately a relationship with Christ. Under the leadership of the Rev Anthony Laotan, we continue to respond to the opportunity and need around us under the umbrella of the Anchored project.

Anchored

This programme incorporates StartaFresh, Day Centre, Community Chatter and Feeding Families. There were some significant changes to the way Anchored operates as the contract for Temporary Manager overseeing the Day Centre and Feeding Families expired. All the programmes are now run by volunteers under the oversight of Revd Anthony Laotan.

Day Centre

Day Centre ran for the first half of the year with several efforts to keep it financially and numerically sustainable. Numbers dropped significantly as more members either took ill or were rehoused in care homes as rising operational costs outweighed income. Decision was made to bring the Day Centre to an end and not to renew the Temporary Manager’s contract. Also, decision was also made to incorporate the former Day Centre and Community Chatter members into a new group, COMMUNITEA PLUS, with a broader remit of not just the elderly but others within the Community who are isolated, lonely or new to Stamford

StartaFresh

This group continued to meet on a Friday, dropping to once a week due to staff changes. StartaFresh offers vital confidence building and social support for the members. We continue to provide educational opportunities with Rutland Adult Learning to whom we are very grateful for their continued support.

Community Chatter

Ran weekly as an afternoon drop-in session where anyone from the community can come along for friendship and support until it was ended alongside the Day Centre as stated above. Members were migrated to COMMUNITEA PLUS, the new group that has incorporated both the Day Centre and Community Chatter.

Feeding Families

We still receive boxes of emergency food from Rapid Relief Team and distribute these to those in need in our community. People do not need to be referred or have any kind of assessment. These are given to people known to us who are struggling and also through our local schools.

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The Bread & Butter Thing

We met with The Bread and Butter Thing Charity in the summer and started a food membership club in November 2023. This club provides food recovered from Farms, Factories and Supermarkets at affordable prices, about a third less than supermarket prices. This club runs weekly through the year and has already become popular within the community.

Children and Youth

Our work with children and young people through ‘Tots and Toast’ and The Den continues to thrive. These groups are well attended and popular with local families. Our new Children and Youth Minister resumed duty in April 2023 and has continued the good work established by her predecessor. She has continued visiting Bluecoat School and Stamford Welland Academy one day a week supporting both children and young people through gardening activities and mentoring. She organized various activities and sessions in the summer such as Community Cook-up for families and creative workshops for young people. We ran a Light Party in October which was well attended. Work with young people gathering on church grounds through the drop-in has temporarily ceased but engagement is ongoing as and when they are around. We remain grateful to all those who fund us to continue all this important work, thanks to funding from The Burghley Family Trust, Stamford Lads Club, the Ark Trust and Henry Smith Charity.

Christ Church Grantors

Christ Church gives a huge thank you to the many people who so kindly donate to support the outreach programs. We have also received generous donations from a range of organisations in 2023, including:

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STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PCC

Charity Law requires the members of the PCC to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Charity’s financial transactions during the Charity year and of the disposition of the Charity’s assets and liabilities at the end of that year. In preparing those financial statements, the members of the PCC are required to:

The members of the PCC are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which enable them to prepare financial statements which comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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Christ Church – 113922 Statement of Financial Activities For the period from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

Prior
Unrestricted Restricted Total Year
Incoming Resources
Donations & Legacies 21,657 128 21,785 17,202
Charitable Activities 15,552 20,405 35,957 34,398
Investments 0 0 0 0
Trading Activities 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0
Total incoming resources 37,209 20,532 57,741 51,600
Resources Used
Charitable Activities 47,124 15,703 62,827 62,894
Raising Funds 0 0 0 0
Other Activities 0 0 0 0
Support 0 0 0 0
Total resources used 47,124 15,703 62,827 62,894
Net Incoming/ OutgoingResources(before transfers) -9,915 4,829 -5,086 -11,293
Fund Transfers In 0 3,000 3,000 130
Fund Transfers Out 3,000 0 3,000 130
Net Movement of Funds -12,915 7,829 -5,086 -11,293
Total Funds Brought Forward 45,821 4,952 50,773 62,066
Total Funds Carried Forward 32,905 12,781 45,687 50,773

There may be minor discrepancies in the totals as the pence are not being shown

Page 9

Christ Church – 1139222 Balance Sheet (Church of England) As at 31 December 2023

Prior
Unrestricted Restricted Total Year
Current Assets
Cash 32,905 12,781 45,687 50,773
Total Net Assets(Assets Minus Liabilities) 32,905 12,781 45,687 50,773
Represented By
Unrestricted
General (Unrestricted) 14,762 14,762 23,133
Designated
Children and Youth Refreshments (Des) 512 512 631
Mission Refreshments (Des) 409 409 500
Anchored D (Des) 10,846 10,846 9,456
Day Centre D (Des) 255 255 2,318
Garden Project (Des) 0 0 103
Toddlers (Des) 530 530 628
Fabric (Des) 358 358 895
Audio Visual (Des) 639 639 782
Hardship (Des) 2,255 2,255 2,255
Outreach (Des) 1,458 1,458 4,500
StartaFresh (Des) 680 680 619
Wheelchair Car (Des) 201 201 0
Transport Scheme (Des) 0 0 0
Restricted
Children and Youth Minister (Res) 10,597 10,597 1,084
Children and Youth Projects (Res) 1,197 1,197 700
Anchored R (Res) 0 0 12
Childrens Church (Res) 459 459 564
Day Centre R (Res) 0 0 72
Garden Project R (Res) 148 148 902
Mission Fund (Res) 367 367 424
StartaFresh R (Res) 0 0 0
Minibus Transport Scheme (Res) 0 0 1,181
AED (Res) 14 14 14
Agency Collections (Res) 0 0 0
Funds of the Church 32,905 12,781 45,687 50,773

There may be minor discrepancies in the totals as the pence are not being shown

Page 10

Christ Church – 1139222 Fund Movement by Type For the Period 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

Opening Fund Closing
Fund Name and Type Balance Income Expenditure
Transfers		 Balance
Unrestricted
General 23,133 30,278 38,650
0		 14,762
Designated
Children and Youth Refreshments 631 743 862
0		 512
Mission Refreshments 500 858 950
0		 409
Anchored D 9,456 1,850 461
0		 10,846
Day Centre D 2,318 2,937 5,000
0		 255
Garden Project 103 0 103
0		 0
Toddlers 628 0 97
0		 530
Fabric 895 0 537
0		 358
Audio Visual 782 0 142
0		 639
Hardship 2,255 0 0
0		 2,255
Outreach 4,500 0 42
-3,000		 1,458
StartaFresh 619 61 0
0		 680
Wheelchair Car 0 482 281
0		 201
Transport Scheme 0 0 0
0		 0
Restricted
Children and Youth Minister 1,084 18,800 12,287
3,000		 10,597
Children and Youth Projects 700 1,600 1,103
0		 1,197
Anchored R 12 100 112
0		 0
Childrens Church 564 0 105
0		 459
Day Centre R 72 0 72
0		 0
Garden Project R 902 0 755
0		 148
Mission Fund 424 0 56
0		 367
StartaFresh R 0 0 0
0		 0
Minibus Transport Scheme 1,181 0 1,181
0		 0
AED 14 0 0
0		 14
Agency Collections 0 33 33
0		 0
TOTAL 50,773 57,741 62,827
0		 45,687

There may be minor discrepancies in the totals as the pence are not being shown

Page 11

CONCLUSION

Before closing it is appropriate to thank most sincerely our staff and the many volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to ensure the efficient running of our projects and community activities. We are very grateful for the financial support we receive from sponsors, grantors and charitable organisations, trusts and businesses - and the people who just give, even when they themselves struggle to make ends meet. We also thank the many other groups and partners who collaborate closely with us in a multitude of ways.

This report dated:

Signed:

x------------------------------------------

Anthony Laotan (Vicar)

x------------------------------------------

Dawn Field (Church Warden)

Page 12

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE PCC OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD

Page 13

Michelle Feasey & Co kn"mtted I Wesi siiee. ￿sInesS Park West Ètretl Siamlyo PE92PL I" oITh) T51115 1 DI7￿ 481&k% e rntea5eyCa)leaseyacc0th1s th uk INOEPEf4DEpif EXAMINER'S REPORTTO ThE PCC OF CHRISTCHURCH, STAMFORD I report on the accounts ofthe church fttr the year ended 31" December 2023, which are set out on pa8es I to 12. R•spèctl¥e responslblllt5e$ of trustees and examlner The chureh's trustees are responslble for the preparation of the accounts. The church's tru5teÈs ¢onsider that an audit Is not requlred for this year under sect￿￿ 144121 of the Charities Art 2011 (the 2011 Actll and that an Sndependent examinatSon Is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Art,. to follow the procedures laid down In the General Dlrections Blven by the Charlty Commissson lunder sertion 14515llbl of thè 2011 Actl- and to state whether partlcular matters have come to my attentlon. Basls ol Independent examln•rfs report My examlnatlon was carrled out In accordance with the general Directlons given by the Charity Commission. An ex3minatlon in¢ludes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also in¢ludes conslderation of any unusual Items or disc105ures In the account5, and seekln8 explanation from you as trustees concernlng any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evldence that would be requlred In an audlt and consequently no oplnion bs 81ven as io whether the accounts prèsent a'true and falr vlev/ and the report Is Ilmbted to those matter set out In the statement below. Independent examlnees stat•m•nt In connection wlth my examlnatlon, no matter has ¢ome to my attentlon: l. which 8lves me reasonable cause to belleve that In any materlal ￿$pert the requlrements ts to keep accountlng records In accordance wlth 5ectlon 130 of the 2011 Act: and o to prepare accounts whlch accord wlth the accountlng records and comply wlth the accountin8 requlrements of the 2011 Act have not been met. or 2. In whlch, In my oplnlon, attentlon should be drawn In order to enablè a proper understandlng of the accounts to be reached. Ml¢helle Feasev I West Street Buslness Park Stamford PE9 2PL 2nd Aprll 2024 Directoi. ￿Chene A E Fe8 Crym￿rry S8cretèty Niaii M¢OU￿ty Val fl&g181raiI￿ No 793 39￿ 79 Réoisiwfd In Er￿a￿ No I4￿491